iWorld
YuppTV launches in India; to raise $50 million for expansion
MUMBAI: The OTT (over-the-top) game in India just got more competitive. US-based YuppTV, an internet based TV streaming service provider has launched its service in India and is planning to raise $50 million to fund its expansion plans.
At the launch of the service in Hyderabad, YuppTV founder and CEO Uday Reddy said that while the company had raised $11 million so far, an additional $50 million will be raised over the next three – four months.
While last year, the company’s turnaround was $15-16 million, Reddy said that in the current financial year YuppTV had set a target of $20-30 million.
Yupp TV will offer 200+ channels in 12 languages. Apart from the Live TV experience, it will also offer Catch-Up TV technology for the first time in India where viewers can watch TV content from the past seven days.
Viewers will also have access to more than 5000 movies and hundreds of TV shows. As part of the Video-On-Demand (VOD) service, YuppTV has over 25,000 hours of video content in its catalogue. The company claims that it adds 2500 hours of content every day.
Some of the unique features that the service will provide to enhance TV viewing experience are: (1) real time recommendations on most trending Live TV channels using advanced analytics, (2) Timeshift technology that enables broadcasters to provide viewers capability to pause and rewind live TV for upto two hours. If viewers are late for a TV show, they can watch the same from the beginning using this start over feature.
YuppTV service is accessible on smart TVS, smart phones, tablets. The app can be downloaded on Android & iOS devices.
Given the limited high speed Internet infrastructure in India, YuppTV will use adaptive bit rate technology to give viewers a buffer-less TV viewing experience.
Reddy said, “There’s no other platform where you can watch linear TV, catch-up, videos, movie on demand and TV shows. We are breaking stereotypes, disrupting the market with OTT technology, providing easy access to unlimited content over public internet.”
Also present at the launch were Telangana Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao, cricket legend Brian Lara and actress Parineeti Chopra.
Rao said, “It is a privilege to support YuppTV, a company whose 97 per cent employee base operates from Hyderabad made to Top 100 companies of North America, getting a Red Herring award in 2015. Launch of YuppTV OTT services is in line with our vision to foster growth of Digital India. Over the past few years technology has been changing lives and YuppTV service is one of those innovations fuelling this change.”
Lara, who is the brand ambassador of YuppTV in Trinidad, added, “I feel excited to be part of YuppTV’s launch in India. With just one touch of entertainment, YuppTV is providing a phenomenal change in Trinidad with high quality internet TV service and I hope to see the same in India.”
Chopra added, “I like to listen to music and have other entertainment whole day. When I am travelling abroad, YuppTV app is just a click away, providing me with Bollywood news and the latest feeds I want. Finally, I can look forward to experience the same now in India! Glad to have been part of this launch.”
iWorld
What SMS letters G, T, S and P mean and how they help spot scams
Small alphabet tags on messages reveal whether texts are government or ads.
MUMBAI: Sometimes the smallest letter in a message can be the biggest clue. In an age where smartphone users receive dozens of alerts every day, the tiny alphabet appearing at the end of many SMS messages can reveal whether a text is official, transactional, service related or simply promotional. Understanding these tags can help users quickly identify legitimate messages and stay alert to potential scams.
Under telecom regulations in India, SMS senders are required to categorise messages based on their purpose. As a result, many texts end with a single letter that indicates the type of communication being sent.
If an SMS ends with the letter G, it typically means the message has been sent by a government authority. These alerts may include information about public services, government schemes, safety advisories or emergency notifications such as natural disaster warnings.
A message ending with the letter T signals a transactional SMS. These are usually sent by banks, financial institutions or digital services to confirm activities such as payments, account updates or one time passwords (OTPs).
The letter S represents a service related message. These notifications commonly come from companies and online platforms providing updates about services or orders. For instance, e commerce platforms like Amazon or Flipkart often send delivery updates and order confirmations that end with the letter S.
Meanwhile, SMS messages ending with the letter P are promotional in nature. These texts are typically marketing communications sent by businesses advertising products, offers or services such as education programmes, fashion sales or loan schemes.
Understanding these simple tags can also help users stay cautious about fraudulent messages. Cybersecurity experts note that scam messages often do not follow these regulated formats and may arrive without any category letter at the end.
While the absence of a tag does not automatically mean a message is fraudulent, it can serve as an early warning sign encouraging users to verify the source before clicking links or sharing personal information.
For those who wish to reduce marketing texts altogether, telecom operators also provide Do Not Disturb (DND) options.
Users of Jio can activate DND through the MyJio app by navigating to the menu, selecting settings and enabling the DND option with preferred filters.
Similarly, subscribers of Airtel and Vi can enable the same feature through their respective mobile apps to block promotional messages.
In a digital world flooded with alerts and notifications, recognising what a single letter means could make the difference between a harmless update and a potential scam.
